Sewing-machine



(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 1. E Mf GARDNER. f

SEWING MACHINE No. 447,306. Patented Mar. 3, 1891.

' (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. GARDNER. SEWING MACHINE Patented M`a1n3, 1891.

me Nouns News cal, Q10-urna., wAsmNnroN, n. c.

v (No Modelj 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

M. GARDNER.

. SEWING'M'AGHINE. v No. 447,306. Patented Martr; 1891.

UNITED STATES PMM/@inn MARSHALL GARDNER, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO .THOMAS H. BALL AND JAMES STONE, OF SAME PLACE, AND SIMON FLORSHEIM,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SEWING-MACHINE.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARSHALL GARDNER,

of Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of but other parts thereof are more especially intended for use'in gang-machines. The i11- vention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out vin the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is an elevation, partly in section, taken upon line l l of Fig. 2,illustratin g thestitch-formin g devices for a sewingmachine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same, taken upon line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the shuttles removed from the machine. Fig. 4t is a sectional view of the shuttle, taken upon line et 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the shuttle, showing the side thereof opposite to that seen in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the shuttle, taken upon line 6 G of Figs. 3 and 5. Fig. 7 is adetail elevation of the shuttle-driver. Fig. S is a detail. section similar to Fig. 2, showing a changed position of the shuttle. Fig. 9 is a detail section taken upon line 9 9 of Fig. 7. Fig.10 is a plan view of the shuttle-race and other parts beneath the work-plate. Fig. 1l is a sectional perspective view illustrating the work-plate, shuttleguides, the shuttle-carrier, and one of the shuttles. Fig. 12 is a view from beneath of a part of the throat-plate adjacent to the needles. Fig. 13 is asectional view taken upon line 13 13 of Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of one of the shuttles with the cover thereof open and the thread-cop removed.

As illustrated in the said drawings, A designates the work-plate, A the th roat-plate, and co a the vertical reciprocating needles, of a gang sewing-machine.

B B are two metal parts or castings, located beneath the throat-plate A and provided with a series of circular grooves b l), forming guides or races for a series of circular or diskshaped shuttles O O, the peripheries of which are engaged with the'said guide-grooves or races. The said shuttles contain central circular recesses concentric with the axis of rotation of the shuttle for containing a closely- Wound mass of thread or cop D, which fits closely within said recess and is so Wound that the thread may be freely drawn from the center thereof.

The part or casting B,which embraces about one-half of the diameter of the circular shuttlc-race, is permanently aiiixed to the workplate of the machine by bolts, as shown, or otherwise. The, part or casting B is movable and is pivotally connected with the-stationary part B, so that said movable part B' may be swung or moved outwardly away from the part B to allow the insertion and removal 0f the shuttles into and from the-circular races or guide-grooves.

As herein shown, the part B is connected by means of a pivot-pin b with the casting B at a4 point belowr the shuttle-guides, and is held or locked in working position by means of a rotating button or catch B2, pivoted upon i the under side of the work-plate. Each of the shuttles O is provided with a hook or prongc, adapted to engage the loop of the needle-thread when said hook is carried past the needle in the oscillatory movement of the shuttle. The said shuttle is cut away or recessed at its margin through a part of its circumference, the cut-away or recessed part eX- tending, desirably, from the said hook c through about one-third of the circumference of the shuttle, as clearly shown in the drawings, Figs. 3 and 5. The outer margin of the hook c conforms to the circular exterior curve of the shuttle, while the margin ofthe shuttle at its recess or cut-away part desirably conforms to the curvature of the cop-recess C.

The several shuttles are actuated by means IOO of an oscillating shnttledriver E of segmental form in cross-section, said driver being constructed to fit within the space formed by the cut-away portion of the shuttle, eX- terior to the shuttle and inside of the guide grooves or races. Said shuttle-driver ismade of approximately the same width as the said cut-away part of the shuttle, and when oscillated bears alternately against the hook c and against the opposin g rib or shoulder c at the opposite end of the cutaway part. The driver proper is herein shown as connected with and actuated by a shaft E', to which power is applied for moving the shuttle. Said shaft is mounted in a bearing A2, attached to the work plate. The opposite end of the driver is, in a gang-machine having a number of shuttles, desirably connected with a shaft E2, mounted in a bearing A3, whereby pivotal support is afforded for both ends of the shuttle-driver. The said shuttle-driver is arranged, in the machine shown, to oscillate through an are of somewhat more than half a circle, and is usually given about three-fourths of a complete rotation. The said shuttledriver being made of such width as to cover about one-third of the circumference of the shuttle, the edges of the said driver overlap or pass the needles, and said driver is therefore provided with a series of notches forming teeth or prongs e e, the ends of which engage the hooks c c and shoulders c c of the shuttles, the prongs passing between the needles at each limit of the movement of the driver. At the time the needles descend the shuttle-driver stands at the extreme limit of its movement in one direction, with the hooks of the shuttles in position to advance through the loops of the needle-thread,as clearly shown in Fig. 2. To avoid possibility of the needles striking the prongs c c, which engage said hooks, said prongs are provided with beveled surfaces c2 at the point at which the needles pass or overlap said prongs as said needles descend. The sides of said prongs being located in the same plane with the points of the shuttles, said prongs serve as guides to hold the needles in proper position for engagement of the points of the shuttles with the loops of the needle-thread. Vith a shuttledriver of the usual thickness, such as is shown in the drawings, however, the side faces of the prongs will not be sufficiently wide to provide a vertical guide-surface for the needle while at the same time having a beveled surface e2. I therefore construct each of the prongs e with an inwardly-extending flange or lip e3, affording a flat guide-surface for the needle inside of the beveled surface e2, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 2. Aside from its function of guiding the needle-point the beveled surface e2 also ai'ords a larger space or opening for the expansion of the thread-loop as the needle begins its upward movement, thereby making more certain the engagement of the shuttle-hook with the upper thread.

The shuttle is shown more clearly iu Figs. 3, 4, 5, G, and 14, and is constructed in detail as follows: The shuttle is beveled at its outer margin or periphery at its side opposite that engaged by the needle, thereby making the shuttle thinner at its edges than at its center and providing a large space for the threadcop at the middle of the shuttle, as clearly shown in the sectional views, Figs. 4 and 6. rlhe shuttle is provided with a cover C2 for the recess, said cover being fiat and hinged to the shuttle in such manner that it may be easily opened and closed for inserting the cop. As herein shown,the cover C2 is mounted upon a pivot c2 at one side of the cop and so arranged that it will swing in the same plane with the side of the shuttle when open. For holding the cover closed a set-screw c is employed, which is adapted to engage and overlap a projection c4 upon the cover, as clearly shown in Fig. 14:. Any other form of catch or locking device may, however, be ein ployed with practically the same result.

C3 is the exit thread-guide of the shuttle, which is located at the center of the bottom wall of the recess C', so that said threadguide is located at the center of oscillation of the shuttle. Tension devices adapted to engage the thread in its passage from the cop to the said exit thread-guide are provided as follows:

C4 is a curved recess or cavity formed in the metal of the shuttle between the coprecess C and the exterior margin of the shuttle in that part of the shuttle opposite the cut-away portion. Said cavityC, in connection with the cop recess C', forms a cylindric flange or wall C5, constituting a part of the wall of the said recess. At one point the saidwall C5 is provided with a notch c, reaching to the bottom of the recess C', and in said recess is formed a shallow depression C, which extends to the said notch c5 and beneath the flange C, so as to leave a free proj ecting point or prong C7, as clearly shown in Figs. a and 14.

CS is a leafspring secured to the outer surface of the wall C5 and bearing at its free end against the outer surface of the projecting part or prong C7. At the upper or outer side of said prong is formed a guide-notch c, and at the inner side thereof, adjacent to the depression C, is a similar guide-notch c7. Said prong CT is desirably pointed or tapered in the manner illustrated, Fig. llt.

The cop is iitted closely within the recess C', and is arranged to unwind from the center, as before described. The thread from the interior of the cop is let outwardly over the same at the side of the cop adjacent to the cover C2, and is then passed around the prong C7, passing beneath the spring C8, and engaging the guide-notches c6 c7. From the guidenotch c7 the thread passes through the depression CG to the exit thread-guide C3, through which it passes to the outside of the shuttle. The depression C6 is merely for the purpose of affording space for the thread to prevent A,the latter rubbing against and displacing the cop. The thread may rest against the cop at the opposite side of the shuttle without detriment, for the reason that at this point the thread is moved outwardly, and will have no tendency to displace the cop when the latter 1s nearly used up and has the form of a thin ring. The purpose of the notch e5 is obviously to allow the shuttle to be easily threaded, a loop of the shuttle-thread being passed through said notch and over the prong C7 beneath the spring Cs in threading the cop, in a wmanner readily understood. The said prong C is desirably made pointed to facilitate this operation.

c8 is an adjusting-screw inserted through the spring Csand engaging the flange C5 for the purpose of adjusting the pressure of the tension-spring. A hole ci is formed in the outer part of the shuttle opposite the said screw e8, which enables the latter to be easily turned for adjusting the pressure of the spring.

In the shuttle constructed as herein described the thread-guide, being located in the bottom of the recess C', is at the side of the shuttle remote from the hook c', so that the thread passes from the shuttle at the side thereof opposite the face of the shuttle engaged with the needle. This construction, however, makes no material difference in the operation of the stitch-forming devices.

The throat-plate A of the machine embraces certain novel features of construction, and is made as follows: The said throat-plate is made considerably thicker at the point above the shuttle than heretofore common, and within the same, adjacent to the needleapertures a a', are formeda series'of narrow recesses CL2 a2, extending from the needle apertures transversely to the direction of the motion of the shuttle-hook, or, in other words, parallel with the axis of rotation of the shuttle. Said recesses extend upwardly to points near the upper surface of the throat-plate, as clearly shown in the drawings, Figs. l and 13. The purpose of said recesses is to hold or guide the thread-loop as the latter is formed by the lifting of the needle, in the usual manner, in position at right angles to the shuttle-hook, so that the said thread-loop can under no circumstances become displaced or thrown around parallel with the face of the shuttle, and thereby allow the hooks to pass the loop without entering the same. Asafurtherimprovementin the construction of the throat-plate, I provide the same with depending flanges CL3 a3, extending below the lower surface of the thickened part of the plate containing the recesses a2, and forming a series of grooves of the proper size to engage the margins of the shuttle, the lower surface of the said plates in this construction forming a part or continuation of the several guide-grooves b for the shuttle. The apertures a of course extend downwardly at the sides of said flanges a3, so as to form guide-grooves of sufficient depth to enable the needles to pass to the points of the shuttle-hooks without striking the same. The presence of the-guide-grooves formed by the said flanges a3 1,3 obviously insures the-retention of the shuttle-hooks accurately in position to engage the threadloops as the said hooks pass the needle. The said flanges a3 as upon the throat-plate, taken in connection with the recesses a2 a2, serve to insure the engagement of the shuttles with the needle-threads, and thereby obviate in a great degree liability of failure to complete every stitch at each reciprocation of the shuttles.

The operation of the parts above described in making the stitch is as follows: At the time the needle descends the point of the hook c of the shuttle stands beneath the throat-plate of the machine slightly at the rear of the needle. As soon as the needle has reached the lowermost limit of its movement and begins its upward movement to form a loop, the point of the shuttle begins to advance and engages said loop. The continued forward movement of the shuttle-hook draws out the loop until the latter has passed beneath the' shuttle, this requiring a movement in the shuttle of somewhat more than half but not three-fourths of a turn. Zhen the the hook has reached the extreme limit of its forward movement, the needle-thread loop is drawn upwardly out of the hook, and the loop will have thus been carried around the lower thread of the bobbin. The cut-away part of the shuttle is made of such length that when the hook c is at the forward limit of its movement the shoulder c will stand slightly forward of the needle, so that the loop of the needle-thread may be drawn freely upward through the opening or space afforded by the said cut-away part of the shuttle.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with a series of' parallel circular shuttle-races, of a series of circular hooked shuttles engaged therewith and a segmental oscillating d river engaged with said shuttles, said shuttles being each provided with a central recess concentric with the axis of rotation of the shuttle for containing a flat cop, an exit thread-guide passing through the side wall of the shuttle at the center of said recess, and a at cover for closing said recess, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a circular shuttlc-race, of a circular hooked shuttle engagedv therewith andan oscillating segmental driver, said shuttle being provided with a central recess concentric with the axis of rotation of the shuttle, an exit thread-guide passing throughthe side wall of the shuttle at the center of said recess, a [lat cover closing said recess, a tension-spring located in a cavity outside of the central recess and provided with guide-notches for holding the thread in engagement with said spring, substantially as described.

IOO

IIO

The combination, with a series of needles and a series of parallel circular shuttleraces, of a series of circular hooked shuttles engaged with said shuttle-races and a throatplate extending over the shuttles and having in its under surface grooves forming parts of the shuttle-races, said throat-plate being, provided with needle-apertures at the sides of the sl1uttle-1aees, and provided also with a series of narrow guide slots or recesses for the thread-loops, extending upwardly from the 

